Metal plate or rail.



J'. H. KOON.

METAL PLATE OE RAIL.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.16.190B.'

920,7 55 Patented May 4, 1909.

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1': mmms PETERS cm, WASHINUYON, n. c.

JAMES HARVEY KOON, OF ONARGA, ILLINOIS.

METAL PLATE OR RAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 16, 1908.

Patented May 4, 1909.

Serial No. 427,427.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HARVEY KooN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Onarga, in the county of Iroquois and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Plates or Rails, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in metal rails or plates for roads and the object is to place these rails on dirt roads to provide a hard smooth surface for vehicles and at the same time provide a gripping surface for the draft animals.

Another object is that these rails can be laid without the use of ties or connections between the rails and will protect the ground of a graded road in wet weather and prevent the road from being cut when the ground is soft.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of one of the plates in perspective; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view; and Fig. 3 is a view showing two plates connected together.

A represents the plate, which is preferably fifteen (15) inches wide. These plates are laid parallel with each other and the plates on each side of the road are connected together by fish plates 2, 2. On the outer edge of the plate a flange 3 is formed, which extends upwardly a short distance, and from the flange for a distance of four (4) inches the rail is made smooth as at l for the wheels of the vehicle to travel on. The remaining portion of the rail or plate to the inner edge is corrugated or roughened as at 5 and upon this portion of the rail the horses or draft animals travel thereby giving a gripping surface for the draft animals.

The flange 3 tends to keep the Wheel on the rail and along the smooth surface 4, and

upon the outer surface of the flange projections 6, G are formed whereby a vehicle can mount the plate or rail when the vehicle crosses the plate at an angle from the earthy material of the ordinary highway.

The center or the space between the rails is preferably filled with crushed stone, which will enable teams to pass from one road to the other and upon the rails in Wet seasons. These rails can be placed along a highway on a straight road or for cross-roads so that they will connect with each other and will form a hard traveling surface in the wet seasons when the roads are very heavy, thereby providing a hard road during all seasons of the year.

It is evident that more or less slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without depart-ing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact con struction herein set forth, but

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is a l. A metal rail or plate for roads, having an abrupt flange on one edge, a smooth portion adjacent to the flange and a roughened surface extending from the smooth portion to the opposite edge of the rail, the upper surfaces of the several parts being in differ ent horizontal planes and the smooth surface adjacent to the flange in a higher plane than the roughened surface.

A metal rail or plate, having the main portion of its upper surface divided into two horizontally disposed sect-ions, one rough and the other smooth and provided with a flange adjacent to the smooth surface.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES HARVEY KOON.

Vitnesses:

' M. K. SMITH,

IDA J. BURSON. 

